The God Factor

Following Jesus often contravenes conventional wisdom. Far from instructing us to prepare for every contingency, Jesus calls His followers to trust Him enough to go wherever He leads: “As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head’” (Luke 9:57–58). Often, our future is uncertain, and we may have no idea from where our provisions will come. Indeed, in some instances, Jesus may even ask us to relinquish everything we own: “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me’” (Mark 10:21).

Terrifying as such a prospect may be, it can also be liberating. Sometimes our possessions can anchor us or make us reluctant to obey the voice of God. Consider for a moment: Should we prepare an ideal homestead capable of sustaining life off the grid, would we be willing to up-and-move if God asked? Sometimes our preparation can limit how we are willing to serve God and can interfere with our ability to lean wholly upon Him.

When challenged, where does our hope truly rest? Have we made our preparations accordingly? In our minds, have we afforded the possibility that God may defy conventional wisdom in His provision for us?

As Christians, we should never underestimate the God factor. It always remains God’s prerogative to supernaturally:

Provide, like He did for the widow in debt (2 Kings 4:1–7)
Protect, like He did for the Israelites as they fought the Amalekites (Exo. 17:8–13)
Heal, like He did for the high priest’s servant (Luke 22:50–51)
Shelter, like He did for those dwelling in the land of Goshen (Exo. 8:22; 9:26)
Embolden, like He did for Peter and John when testifying before the ruling council (Acts 4:8–13)
Enlighten, like Jesus promised His followers (John 14:26; Luke 12:11–12)

We have no reason to fear the future if we are faithfully pursuing God. For some of us, this may involve thorough preparation, while others may be called to follow a different path of obedience. Indeed, it may be that our particular season of life, and the ministry to which some of us are called, does not afford opportunity to adequately prepare for lean and difficult periods. Nonetheless, we can be confident that the most secure place to be is in faithful obedience to whatever God has called us to do. Despite our circumstances, we can be faithful because we know that God is faithful toward us (2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:13). Therefore, let us have the confidence of the apostle Paul who assured the Christians in Philippi, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Php. 4:19).

This article comes from Heart of a Forerunner: How to Be a Relevant and Influential Voice in a Wayward Nation